Infant carrier with adjustable harness system

• US 7,188,897 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Patrizi, Timothy, Crane, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer; Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US11/079,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/468, 297/483, 297/484, 297/256.15, 297/467, 297/469, 241/98, 242/00
• US Class Current: 297/250.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat

Abstract

An infant carrier includes a carrier shell including a seating area for a child; and a harness system adapted to connect to the carrier shell and adapted to be adjusted between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child. The harness system includes first and second straps, each of the first and second straps having a shoulder strap end and a lap strap end, a shoulder strap adjuster associated with the shoulder strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the shoulder strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, and a lap strap adjuster associated with the lap strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the lap strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration.

Claims

1. An infant carrier, comprising:

a carrier shell including a first set of shoulder strap slots, a second set of corresponding shoulder strap slots laterally spaced from the first set of shoulder strap slots, and first and second lap strap slots; and

a harness system connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child, the harness system including

a first strap threaded through a selected one of the shoulder strap slots and through the first lap strap slot;

a second strap threaded through a selected one of the corresponding shoulder strap slots and through the second lap strap slot, wherein each of the first and second straps includes a shoulder strap end having first and second looped portions and a lap strap end having first and second looped portions,

a junction clip to couple the first and second straps together, the junction clip either received in the first looped portions of the first and second shoulder strap ends in the first configuration, or the junction clip received in the second looped portions of the first and second shoulder strap ends in the second configuration,

a first lap strap clip either received in the first looped portion of the first lap strap in the first configuration or received in the second looped portion of the first lap strap in the second configuration, and

a second lap strap clip either received in the first looped portion of the second lap strap in the first configuration or received in the second looped portion of the second lap strap in the second configuration.

2. The infant carrier of claim 1, wherein the first and second straps each include a lap strap segment and a shoulder strap segment.

3. The infant carrier of claim 2, wherein the lap strap segment and the shoulder strap segment comprise a single, continuous strap.

4. The infant carrier of claim 2, wherein the lap strap segment and the shoulder strap segment comprise two separate straps.

5. The infant carrier of claim 1, wherein the harness system includes a harness adjuster strap, and the junction clip is adapted to couple the first and second straps to the harness adjuster strap.

6. An infant carrier, comprising:

a carrier shell including a seating area for a child; and

a harness system connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child, the harness system including

first and second straps, each of the first and second straps having a shoulder strap end and a lap strap end,

a shoulder strap adjuster associated with the shoulder strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the shoulder strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, and

a lap strap adjuster associated with the lap strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the lap strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein the lap strap adjuster includes a first and second connection associated with the lap strap ends, wherein either the first connection is attached to the carrier shell such that the lap strap ends are in the first configuration, or the second connection is attached to the carrier shell such that the lap strap ends are in the second configuration, and wherein

each of the first and second straps has a shorter maximum available length in the first configuration and a longer maximum available length in the second configuration that is greater than the shorter maximum available length, each maximum available length defined in part by adjustment of the lap strap adjuster.

7. The infant carrier of claim 6, wherein the first and second straps each include a lap strap segment and a shoulder strap segment.

8. The infant carrier of claim 7, wherein the lap strap segment and the shoulder strap segment comprise two separate straps.

9. The infant carrier of claim 7, wherein the harness system includes a chest clip having a first member slidably coupled to the shoulder strap segment of the first strap and a second member slidably coupled to the shoulder strap segment of the second strap.

10. The infant carrier of claim 7, wherein the harness system includes a crotch strap and a buckle coupled to the crotch strap.

11. The infant carrier of claim 6, wherein the first and second connections comprise first and second looped portions at the respective lap strap end, and wherein the lap strap adjuster of each of the lap strap ends comprises a lap strap clip either received in the first looped portion in the first configuration or received in the second looped portion in the second configuration.

12. The infant carrier of claim 11, wherein the carrier shell includes a pair of cavities to receive the respective lap strap clips.

13. An infant carrier, comprising:

a carrier shell including a seating area for a child; and

a harness system connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child, the harness system including

first and second straps, each of the first and second straps including a lap strap segment and a shoulder strap segment having a shoulder strap end and a lap strap end, wherein the lap strap segment and the shoulder strap segment comprise a single, continuous strap,

a shoulder strap adjuster associated with the shoulder strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the shoulder strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, and

a lap strap adjuster associated with the lap strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the lap strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein

each of the first and second straps has a shorted maximum available length in the first configuration and a longer maximum available length in the second configuration that is greater than the shorter maximum available length, each maximum available length defined in part by adjustment of the lap strap adjuster.

14. An infant carrier, comprising:

a carrier shell including a seating area for a child; and

a harness system connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child, the harness system including

first and second straps, each of the first and second straps including a lap strap segment having a lap strap end and a shoulder strap segment having a shoulder strap end,

a shoulder strap adjuster associated with the shoulder strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the shoulder strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration,

a crotch strap and a buckle coupled to the crotch strap,

a lap strap adjuster associated with the lap strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the lap strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, and

a first latch slidably coupled to the lap strap segment of the first strap and a second latch slidably coupled to the lap strap segment of the second strap, wherein the first and second latches releasably connect to the buckle, wherein

each of the first and second straps has a shorted maximum available length in the first configuration and a longer maximum available length in the second configuration that is greater than the shorter maximum available length, each maximum available length defined in part by adjustment of the lap strap adjuster.

15. An infant carrier, comprising:

a carrier shell including a seating area for a child, wherein the carrier shell includes first and second lap strap slots; and

a harness system connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child, the harness system including

first and second straps, each of the first and second straps having a shoulder strap end and a lap strap end, wherein the first strap is threaded through the first lap strap slot, and the second strap is threaded through the second lap strap slot such that the lap strap ends of the first and second straps are located at a lower surface of the infant carrier;

a shoulder strap adjuster associated with the shoulder strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the shoulder strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, and

a lap strap adjuster associated with the lap strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the lap strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein

each of the first and second straps has a shorted maximum available length in the first configuration and a longer maximum available length in the second configuration that is greater than the shorter maximum available length, each maximum available length defined in part by adjustment of the lap strap adjuster.

16. The infant carrier of claim 15, wherein the lap strap adjuster of each of the lap strap ends comprises first and second looped portions on each respective lap strap end, and a lap strap clip either received in the first looped portion in the first configuration or received in the second looped portion in the second configuration.

17. The infant carrier of claim 16, wherein the carrier shell includes first and second cavities to receive the respective lap strap clips.

18. The infant carrier of claim 17, wherein the first and second cavities are formed on opposite sides of the lower surface of the carrier shell.

19. The infant carrier of claim 17, wherein the first and second cavities are aligned with the first and second lap strap slots, respectively.

20. The infant carrier of claim 16, wherein the first and second looped portions correspond to the shorter maximum available length in the first configuration and the longer maximum available length in the second configuration, respectively.

21. The infant carrier of claim 16, wherein the harness system includes a harness cover mounted to the lower surface of the infant carrier to secure the second looped portions of the first and second lap strap ends when the first and second lap strap clips are received in the first loped portions of the first and second lap strap ends, respectively.

22. The infant carrier of claim 16, wherein the harness system includes a harness cover mounted to a lower surface of the infant carrier, the harness cover having tabs securing the lap strap ends of the first and second straps to the harness cover.

23. The infant carrier of claim 15, wherein the lap strap adjuster of the lap strap end of each of the first and second straps comprises a lap strap clip and an adjuster slot in the carrier shell adjacent a respective one of the first and second lap strap slots, wherein the lap strap end of each strap is either threaded through both the respective lap strap slot and the respective adjuster slot and secured at the respective adjuster slot by the lap strap clip in the first configuration or the lap strap end of each strap can be threaded through the respective lap strap slot only and secured at the respective lap strap slot by the lap strap clip in the second configuration.

24. An infant carrier, comprising:

a carrier shell including a seating area for a child; and

a harness system connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child, the harness system including

first and second straps, each of the first and second straps having a shoulder strap end and a lap strap end,

a shoulder strap adjuster associated with the shoulder strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the shoulder strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein the shoulder strap adjuster includes a junction clip and first and second looped portions on each of the shoulder strap ends wherein the junction clip couples the first and second shoulder strap ends of the first and second straps together and

a lap strap adjuster associated with the lap strap ends of each of the first and second straps to enable adjustment of the lap strap ends between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein

each of the first and second straps has a shorted maximum available length in the first configuration and a longer maximum available length in the second configuration that is greater than the shorter maximum available length, each maximum available length defined in part by adjustment of the lap strap adjuster.

25. The infant car seat of claim 24, wherein arms of the junction clip are either received in the first looped portions of the shoulder strap ends in the first configuration or received in the second looped portions of the shoulder strap ends in the second configuration.

26. The infant carrier of claim 24, wherein the carrier shell includes a first set of shoulder strap slots and a second set of corresponding shoulder strap slots, wherein the first strap threaded through a selected one of the shoulder strap slots, and the second strap is threaded through a selected one of the corresponding shoulder strap slots.

27. The infant carrier of claim 24, wherein the harness system includes a harness adjuster strap, and the junction clip couples the first and second straps to the harness adjuster strap.

28. An infant carrier, comprising:

a carrier shell including first and second lap strap slots; and

a harness system adapted to be connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration for a larger child, the harness system including

a first strap threaded through the first lap strap slot,

a second strap threaded through the second lap strap slot, wherein each of the first and second straps includes a lap strap end having first and second looped portions

a first lap strap clip either received in the first looped portion of the first lap strap end in the first configuration or received in the second looped portion of the first lap strap in the second configuration; and

a second lap strap clip either received the first looped portion of the second lap strap in the first configuration or received in the second looped portion of the second lap strap in the second configuration.

29. The infant carrier of claim 28, wherein the carrier shell includes a pair of cavities to hold the respective lap strap clips associated with the lap strap ends of the first and second straps.

30. The infant carrier of claim 29, wherein the carrier shell includes a lower surface, and the cavities are formed on opposite sides of the lower surface of the carrier shell.

31. The infant carrier of claim 30, wherein the carrier shell includes first and second lap strap slots to receive the first and second straps, respectively, and the cavities each are aligned with the respective lap strap slot.

32. The infant carrier of claim 28, wherein the carrier shell includes first and second lap strap slots, wherein the first strap is threaded through the first lap strap slot, and the second strap is threaded through the second lap strap slot such that the lap strap ends of the first and second straps are located at a lower surface of the infant carrier.

33. The infant carrier of claim 32, wherein the first and second looped portions correspond to a shortened operative length and a lengthened operative length, respectively.

34. The infant carrier of claim 33, wherein the harness system includes a harness cover mounted to a lower surface of the infant carrier to secure the second looped portions of the first and second lap strap ends when the first and second lap strap clips are received in the first looped portions of the first and second lap strap ends.

35. The infant carrier of claim 28, wherein the harness system includes a harness cover mounted to a lower surface of the infant carrier, the harness cover having tabs to secure the lap strap ends of the first and second straps to the harness cover.

36. An infant carrier, comprising

a carrier shell including first and second lap strap slots and first and second adjuster slots;

and

a harness system connected to the carrier shell and reconfigurable between a first configuration for a smaller child and a second configuration fort a larger child, the harness system including

a first strap having a first lap strap end,

a second strap having a second lap strap end, and

first and second lap strap clips associated with the first and second lap strap ends, respectively,

wherein the first and second lap strap ends are either threaded through both the respective lap strap slot and the respective adjuster slot and secured at the respective adjuster slot by the respective lap strap clip in the first configuration or the first and second lap strap ends can be threaded through the respective lap strap slot only and secured at the respective lap strap slot by the respective lap strap clip in the second configuration.